If one gets the french in a BMD gambit game like this... its good black play! as obviously stodgy defensive play way is not what an attacking gambit player wants... does anybody have any hints and tips for smashing through the French?

schnarre
40 ( +1 | -1 )spurtus If you're on chessgames.com, it has a good opening explorer. The Tarrasch is a solid & scrappy line vs. the french (I'll usually go 1. e4 e6, 2. d4 d5, 3. Nd2 then if...c5 then 4. c3 or if ...Nf6 then 4. e5---in either case I'll tend to deviate by playing Ndf3 at some point instead of Ngf3).

I haven't played the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit for some time, but french set ups were coverd in a book or two I have: I'll try to dig out a few notes so we can put frog's legs on the menu again.

ccmcacollister
82 ( +1 | -1 )Spurtus ...I feel like BL gets a slight advantage vs the Advance var with a3, by playing ...f6,...c4, and o-o-o set up, which is covered in Watson's first "Play the French" book edition. It's not much. But its a drawish variation unless WT wants to go wild and crazy, imo. [I'm not well versed in the dxc5 lines of WT, and wouldnt really care to play that as WT myself and dont find the attaction. But supposedly there are some attacking chances there.] Also instead of a3 he can go with Be2 and be even more drawish. I've played g3 and Bh3 as Wt before. But would have had little if BL had not walked into a combination. The Advance variation is pretty much why I would not play the French vs someone lower rated than I in a serious game. Dreary stuff. I'd much rather face an Exchange Variation, where WT has to be careful & play correctly or get into trouble.

spurtus
48 ( +1 | -1 )Exchange variationOK, lets look here then, this looked at first glance much more forcing & the play and incurs an more open game ( something a French player ought to dislike )... I just wondered if there are any exchange variation lines that are dangerous for Black... or will make him more likely to make a misatke rather than find the best move... ie. traps, positional play, attacks & further gambits etc.

alberlie
44 ( +1 | -1 )Exchange Var??Sorry, I still seem to have not really gotten your meaning, spurtus. Are you looking for something to play as WT against the french or as BL? For as WT I would definitely not play the exchange since it allows both players a very natural setup where BL can blitz out the first 6-10 moves in more or less random order against more or less anything that WT plays (of course exaggerating but it _is_ relatively harmless).

spurtus
14 ( +1 | -1 )ClarificationThe discussion is about how to play as white, and primarily is the exchange variation as equalising as many say it is OR does white have any sneaky resources?

alberlie
34 ( +1 | -1 )schnarre,Be6 in that line. Pawn is covered and taking the bishop seems to be fine for black. Now the fight is no longer about the d5 square but for the e5 square. And after Nd7, Nc6 Bd6 I think black has better chances controlling that square. And, as long as d5 for black doesn't fall, your Bg2 has a nice time reading bedtime stories to your king :o)

alberlie
61 ( +1 | -1 )spurtus...There are probably sneaky resources in every opening. The question is how likely it is that your opponent falls for them. And I would guess that an opening, which reaches symmetry in many lines within the very first moves, is not the most likely candidate for this.

On 4. c4 black also has Bb4+ wich, according to Watsons "play the french" scored above average for black.

If you want a real battle, go for the winawer or play an advanced variation with an early Qg4. Those seem to have the potential of getting very sharp. But then again, what do _I_ know... ;o)

bittersweet_ballad
10 ( +1 | -1 )I really like the position white gets in this line:

e4 e6, d4 d5, Nc3 Nf3, Bg5 Be7, e5 Nd7, h4!? Bxg5, hxg5 Qxg5, Nh3

spurtus
30 ( +1 | -1 )indeed a nice position for white bittersweet, Black has a dodgy white bishop which cant get out and wouldnt be surprised if black loses if he eventually castles king side, what with the semi open h file... its just the sort of thing I'm looking for...

jstack
16 ( +1 | -1 )Alekhine-Chatard attackThe only about this is you can't force black into it. He can go into the Winawer with 3..Bb4 which has a lot of theory. I am too lazy of a chess player to prepare for that.

If you play the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit why not keep it in the same kind of lines with the Alapin-Diemer Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.e4 e6 3.Be3 or the Diemer-Duhm Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.e4 e6 3.c4

ccmcacollister
33 ( +1 | -1 )Is it really safe ...to play something called the "dumn gambit"?? }8-)) ( ?!?! PS (I wonder if the first line from andrewthemanyhued is what was being called the "Esh" {Etsh?!} gambit in the 80's or is that different? Anyone sure on it? I believe it is. Which I first saw at referenced in his APCT by Esh, 80's or very early 90's)

andrewthemanyhued
11 ( +1 | -1 )Temple of Doom!It looks like it would sound like "dumb," but the pronunciation is really "DOOM."

And in the DDG, it is doom for black!

schnarre
8 ( +1 | -1 )DDG reminds me of a line I played years ago. I might just break it out again!

stendhar
18 ( +1 | -1 )I forgot the nameBut there's a more interesting gambit in the french after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3!? This is for all those who wish to avoid the Winaver and still play something interesting.